By Megan R. Nichols, EBN Online Nearly every industry, from consumer and aerospace and defense to fashion and automotive buy electronic components. These parts need to be of the highest quality, especially for applications where safety and reliability are paramount, which is why the growing number of counterfeit parts is becoming an enormous problem. New industry standards may be the answer to preventing the spread of counterfeit parts. Let’s take a closer look at these standards and the issues that counterfeit parts are creating. The rise of counterfeit parts In 2009, NASA came under fire for the use of apparently counterfeit parts in their satellites and spacecraft. While the components weren’t putting astronauts or expensive satellites at risk, it cost the space agency extra money in testing and quality assurance to make sure the parts met the standards required by NASA and similar agencies. It’s important to note that the word “counterfeit” in this context doesn’t mean the same thing it would if the term were applied to money. Counterfeit money is fake, plain and simple. Counterfeit parts aren’t necessarily fake — they just haven’t undergone the sometimes expensive safety and quality testing to ensure they meet the specified performance and standards promised by the part. In this realm, the user might be unaware of the origins of the part (who made them, how they were handled, etc.) as well as the quality (specifications, packaging, etc.) of the components. Thirty years ago, few worried about the problem of fake parts, but, particularly with the globalization of the electronics market, this problem has only grown over the past decade. In 2011, reports indicated that more than half of the electronics distributors in the United States had encountered counterfeit parts in their dealings. In 2012,...

“CNC Machine Shop Boosts Efficiency with Aid of Collaborative Robot” Featured in Design-2-Part Magazine BOSTON—Fitzpatrick Manufacturing, a CNC machine shop and custom manufacturer founded in 1952, regularly brings new technology into its factory to increase speed, improve efficiency, and remain competitive. The company recently deployed Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer™ collaborative robot at its Sterling Heights, Michigan, facility to increase operational efficiency and to counterbalance a tight labor market. “We were very deliberate about finding the right job for Sawyer,” said Kevin LaComb, co-president at Fitzpatrick Manufacturing, in a press release. “This is the first time we’ve deployed advanced automation. In job shops, it’s hard to predict what project will come in. With Sawyer’s adaptability, we can automate the repetitive, mundane jobs and free up human workers for more skilled, higher value tasks.” Fitzpatrick Manufacturing supplies parts to more than a dozen sectors, including aerospace, automotive, medical equipment, and oil and gas. The company is using Sawyer to help hone parts that become components for the motion control industry–work that requires precise tolerance and repetitive action. Sawyer identifies which part to run first—short versus long—and loads it into the honing machine. When the first part is finished, Sawyer removes it, loads a second part into the machine, and places the first part in the wash station. From there, Sawyer dries the part at the air blow station before packaging it in a box for shipment. With 400 spots on the pin board to be processed, Sawyer can package between 280 and 300 before a human worker needs to intervene. This process could take five to eight hours, which allows Sawyer to run overnight, lights out, and have all the parts ready to go when workers arrive back at the facility. Sawyer is...

By Jason Margolis, Public Radio International (PRI) President Donald Trump once named his style of elocution “truthful hyperbole” — what he described as a form of promotion to get people excited. One area the president currently likes to pump up is foreign jobs coming back to the United States. “We have literally hundreds of companies moving back,” President Trump said in November, repeating a statement that’s become a major talking point. But is this another instance of truthful hyperbole? Are hundreds of companies indeed shifting production back to the US? “I’d say 300, 400, at least, announced in 2017,” said Harry Moser, president of the Reshoring Initiative, a nonprofit that tracks jobs coming back to the US. OK, score one for the president. But is a few hundred companies significant? “I would call this movement right now a trickle,” said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. There’s considerable debate over how to measure any reshoring trends and very little data available. It’s often not as simple as a company closing a factory in China and reopening it in Ohio. Moser, for example, includes “partial shifts” of jobs, whereas some other research only includes shifts of entire businesses, and thus, have reached less optimistic conclusions about reshoring trends. What is clear, however, said Paul, is that the US is seeing more companies that rely on cheap energy — now in abundance in the US — coming back. “That includes some types of chemical processing, some types of plastics,” said Paul. “I’ve also seen jobs come back in everything from auto parts to textiles in jeans.” Paul said this trend began about a decade ago. Moser, who also assists companies with information about the benefits of shifting work to the US, said President Barack Obama got the ball rolling....

“Letting Go of the Old Manufacturing to Make Room for the New” By IW Staff, Industry Week A new book sets out to change perceptions of the industry through first-person stories and essays. Terry Iverson considers manufacturing a vocation, not a job. The owner of Iverson & Company, an Illinois machine tool distributor, sees a lot of opportunities for young people in manufacturing’s technology-driven culture, automated facilities, and strong, well-defined career tracks. To spread the word about the industry and hopefully change perceptions, he’s raised more than $22,000 through a Kickstarter campaign to publish a book for parents, business leaders and educators called Finding America’s Greatest Champion: Building Prosperity through Manufacturing, Mentoring and the Awesome Responsibility of Parenting. n the book, Iverson shares his own experiences around manufacturing along with those of 40 others—including drag racer Tony Schumacher, CNC machining guru Titan Gilroy and other entrepreneurs, inventors and manufacturing leaders. “Parents and educators, business, and America’s culture must strive to better prepare our youth of tomorrow,” says Iverson. “While I am passionate about manufacturing, the overarching message is that we, as parents, must listen to what lights up our children. So many parents have the opportunity to empower their children or mentor others. An entire generation is waiting for the light switch to be flipped.” Iverson also founded ChampionNow!, a non-profit organization that introduces young people to manufacturing careers by changing their perceptions, engaging them in internships and inspiring them with videos and presentations. This excerpt from Finding America’s Greatest Champion is taken from an interview with Warren Young, CEO of Acme Industries, a metal fabricator in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. I have been in manufacturing my whole life. I realized, when I graduated with my engineering degree, that...

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“China really is to blame for millions of lost U.S. manufacturing jobs, new study finds” By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch Millions of Americans who lost manufacturing jobs during the 2000s have long ”known” China was to blame, not robots. And many helped elect Donald Trump as president because of his insistence that China was at fault. Evidently many academics who’ve studied the issue are finally drawing the same conclusion. For years economists have viewed the increased role of automation in the computer age as the chief culprit for some 6 million lost jobs from 1999 to 2010 — one-third of all U.S. manufacturing employment. Firms adopted new technologies to boost production, the thinking goes, and put workers out of the job in the process. Plants could make more stuff with fewer people. In the past several years fresh thinking by economists such as David Autor of MIT has challenged that view. The latest research to poke holes in the theory of automation-is-to-blame is from Susan Houseman of the Upjohn Institute. Academic research tends to be dry and complicated, but Houseman’s findings boil down to this: The government for decades has vastly overestimated the growth of productivity in the American manufacturing sector. It’s been growing no faster, really, than the rest of the economy. What that means is, the adoption of technology is not the chief reason why millions of working-class Americans lost their jobs in a vast region stretching from the mouth of the Mississippi river to the shores of the Great Lakes. Nor was it inevitable. Autor and now Houseman contend the introduction of China into the global trading system is root cause of the job losses. Put another way, President Bill Clinton and political leaders who succeeded him accepted the risk that the U.S. would suffer short-term economic harm from opening the U.S. to Chinese exports in hopes of long-run gains of a more stable China. No longer needing to worry about U.S. tariffs, the Chinese took full advantage. Low Chinese wages and a cheap Chinese currency CNYUSD, -0.6037% — at a time when the dollar DXY, +0.48% was strong — gave China several huge advantages. Companies shuttered operations in the U.S., moved to China and eventually set up...

By ThomasNet.com Metal stamping is used to turn cold sheet metal and other materials — such as copper and brass — into high-performing products and parts that can be used in various industrial and manufacturing processes. Traditionally, power press stamping machines are built to blank and stamp metal parts; these machines are ideal for simple, straightforward operations. Progressive die stamping improved on power press stamping machines by allowing for the completion of various operations, such as punching, coining, and bending. Multi-slide stamping machines then further improve the die stamping process by allowing for the production of highly complex shapes and bends. The four slide metal stamping machine is one such machine, although the terms “multi-slide” and “four slide” are often used interchangeably. How Does Four Slide Metal Stamping Work? Power press stamping and progressive die stamping both utilize an up-and-down, or vertical, motion when processing sheet metal and other materials. These stamping methods are geared toward the production of less complex parts. Multi-slide metal stamping, including four slide metal stamping, is different; these machines work in right angles, or horizontally. The slides, or rams, in the machines, strike the sheet material to produce the finished product. Multi-slide stamping machines may have more than four multiple moving slides, while four slide metal stamping machines have a fixed number. Servo motors or cams act on the slides, allowing the workpiece to be worked from four sides. The Benefits of Using a Four Slide Metal Stamping Machine Since different tools can be attached to the slides in a four slide metal stamping machine, it is much more versatile than a stamping press. Four slide equipment is also able to handle the manufacture of much more complicated parts, including parts with multiple, complex, or over 90° bends and twists. A huge range of parts can be produced using four slide metal stamping, including flat springs, clips, brackets, shunts, friction plates, terminals, and retainers. Both flat and round materials can be formed. Moreover, four slide metal stamping machines are much more cost-efficient than other stamping machines. The tools needed for four slide stamping are often cheaper than those required by other stamping methods, and die sets are not required....

By The University of Minnesota Featured on Phys.org One of the key innovations of the new 3-D-printing technique on skin is that the printer uses computer vision to track and adjust to movements in real-time. Credit: McAlpine group, University of Minnesota In a groundbreaking new study, researchers at the University of Minnesota used a customized, low-cost 3D printer to print electronics on a real hand for the first time. The technology could be used by soldiers on the battlefield to print temporary sensors on their bodies to detect chemical or biological agents or solar cells to charge essential electronics. Researchers also successfully printed biological cells on the skin wound of a mouse. The technique could lead to new medical treatments for wound healing and direct printing of grafts for skin disorders. The research study was published today on the inside back cover of the academic journal Advanced Materials. “We are excited about the potential of this new 3D-printing technology using a portable, lightweight printer costing less than $400,” said Michael McAlpine, the study’s lead author and the University of Minnesota Benjamin Mayhugh Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. “We imagine that a soldier could pull this printer out of a backpack and print a chemical sensor or other electronics they need, directly on the skin. It would be like a ‘Swiss Army knife’ of the future with everything they need all in one portable 3D printing tool.” One of the key innovations of the new 3D-printing technique is that this printer can adjust to small movements of the body during printing. Temporary markers are placed on the skin and the skin is scanned. The printer uses computer vision to adjust to movements in real-time. “No matter how hard anyone would try to stay still when using the printer on the skin, a person moves slightly and every hand is different,” McAlpine said. “This printer can track the hand using the markers and adjust in real-time to the movements and contours of the hand, so printing of the electronics keeps its circuit shape.” Another unique feature of this 3D-printing technique is that it uses a specialized ink made of silver flakes that can cure and conduct at room temperature. This is different from...

By Stratasys PolyJet is a powerful 3D printing technology that produces smooth, accurate parts, prototypes and tooling. With microscopic layer resolution and accuracy down to 0.1 mm, it can produce thin walls and complex geometries using the widest range of materials available with any technology. Benefits of PolyJet: Create smooth, detailed prototypes that convey final-product aesthetics. Produce accurate molds, jigs, fixtures and other manufacturing tools. Achieve complex shapes, intricate details and delicate features. Incorporate the widest variety of colors and materials into a single model for unbeatable efficiency....

“U.S. Delays Decision On Tariffs For EU, Prolonging Uncertainty” By Christopher Rugaber & Ken Thomas, AP Writers Featured on Manufacturing Business Technology WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government will take another 30 days to decide whether to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum from the European Union, Canada and Mexico, extending a period of uncertainty for businesses in those regions. The delay helps the U.S. avoid a potential trade war with allies as it prepares for tense trade talks in China this week. But the EU slammed the decision as bad for business that “prolongs market uncertainty, which is already affecting business decisions.” “As a longstanding partner and friend of the U.S., we will not negotiate under threat,” the EU said in a statement Tuesday. The Trump administration said Monday it had reached an agreement with South Korea on steel imports following discussions on a revised trade agreement. And the administration said it had also reached agreements in principle with Argentina, Australia and Brazil on steel and aluminum that will be finalized shortly. “In all of these negotiations, the administration is focused on quotas that will restrain imports, prevent transshipment and protect the national security,” the White House said. Facing a self-imposed deadline, President Donald Trump was considering whether to permanently exempt the EU and Mexico, Canada, Australia, Argentina and Brazil from tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on imported aluminum that his administration imposed in March. The White House had given itself until the end of Monday to decide whether to extend the exemptions. The EU has taken a tough stance, raising the prospect of a trade war if the U.S. does not back down. It has a list of retaliatory tariffs worth about $3.5 billion on imports from the U.S. that it will activate if the EU loses its exemption. Germany said it continues to expect a permanent exemption. The EU’s largest steel exporter to the U.S., it accounted for about 5 percent of U.S. steel imports last year. “Neither the EU nor the U.S. can have an interest in an escalation of their trade tensions,” a spokeswoman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday in a...

April 26, 2018 – If trade show attendance is an indicator of the health of manufacturing in the United States, then the industry is off to a great start in 2018. Design-2-Part (D2P) Shows, a series of eleven annual design and contract manufacturing trade shows across the U.S., has set attendance records in each of the three shows held so far in 2018. Two of the shows, in Grapevine, Texas and Secaucus, NJ, recorded all-time record highs for D2P shows in those cities. The third show in Atlanta, Georgia posted its highest attendance since 1995. “We are obviously thrilled with the attendance and the start that our shows have had for 2018,” said Jerry Schmidt, President of Design-2-Part Shows. “But we are also encouraged by what this could indicate for America’s manufacturing industry and the U.S. economy as a whole. What’s really encouraging about this “snap shot” is the spread of regions that have all responded: the Southwest, the Southeast, and the Northeast.” Design-2-Part Shows provide U.S. manufacturers an efficient opportunity to meet local and national job shops and contract manufacturers face-to-face to source custom parts, components, services, and design. Exhibiting companies showcase their design-through-manufacturing services featuring more than 300 product categories for the metal, plastics, rubber and electronics industries. D2P Shows exclusively feature exhibiting job shops and contract manufacturers with manufacturing operations in the United States. Companies that do not have facilities in the U.S. are not permitted to exhibit. D2P will continue its 2018 spring schedule with shows in Schaumburg, Illinois, Santa Clara, California, and Minneapolis, MN. For information on exhibiting or attending any Design-2-Part Show, visit...